Project origins
There was some discussion on the Steam forums as to how to get an update to GalCiv 2 out there.
Draginol popped in and suggested that an update incorporating the expertise of the fanbase would be the best way forward. A bugfixing update would soon be on the way.
I sent a message to the other tech tree modders, and luckily secured the assistance of Gaunathor, and later MabusAltarn, as well as some dedicated members of the community who posted some valuable feedback. They have been instrumental to the success of the community update, and I'm glad to have played a small part along the way.
Progress report
The community update has been released as part of a rollout of Stardock products on GOG.com and is also available as an opt-in beta on Steam!
Downloads and links
Issues which can't be fixed with XML manipulation.
The file archive folder, hosted by MabusAltarn.
The list of bugs which can't be fixed with XML manipulation.
The spreadsheet of data changes, hosted by MabusAltarn.
Initial discussion on Steam forums
Credits for community member and Stardock staff involvement
Gaunathor - Tech tree changes, descriptions and standardisation. AI value adjustment. Planetary improvement changes and fixes. Keeper of the change logs, spreadsheet and file archive.
MarvinKosh - Typo and description changes (English.str, Techtree.xml). Additional spreadsheet analysis.
DARCA1213 - Tech descriptions.
MabusAltarn - UI changes, tech tree changes, AI value adjustment, keeper of the file archive, spreadsheet and change logs.
Maiden666 - Suggestions for improvement (technology victory bonuses).
OShee - tech descriptions.
SiliasOfBorg - tech descriptions.
Frogboy - executable code changes.
By the way, in case you missed it, Steam has decided to try out in-game broadcasting much like Twitch. I'm going to give it a whirl. Although chances are there won't be any viewers, I may as well see if it works!
Post-broadcast: Well, a broadcast did show up under the particular tab, buuuuuut, Steam doesn't seem to archive broadcasts. So, Twitch still wins, for the moment.
IT failed on an epic scale. As did slowly recuding influence, extra influence, etc, etc. I guess we're stuck with AIP7's short sightedness for now.
Regardless, here's what were going to do. We're keeping the AI's in the CU just like they are. If Stardock okey's a change in the EXE and is willing to officially release it we'll put the Drengin and Yor on 8.
If they don't, well, then I'll release a small mod on top of the CU AFTER we release it. The CU will be much better than the vanila game, the CU++ (Heheheh) will be ever better.
I'm still going through the EXE in the hopes of finidng a solution to AIP7's colonization problem. It's not easy but I'm under no pressure to give up any time soon. Failing that that'll see if I can get AIP8 to build sporeships. Fun fact, AIP10 can build then too! It's actually AIP8 and AIP11 that lack sporships in their build queue's. How's that for major suck.
I made some decent progress restoring the SB prod assist and mining modules back to the industrial lines. I've also put the Battle Station's modules back on the hull line.
I'll see what else I can manage tonight.
Sounds good, fyi I once tried contacting Brad, it was months later I got a response.
Mabus, quick question, why did the Colony Module get put back to 250 colonists (looking at your latest update)?
Not that I'm aware of. IT's at 500.
New update:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rre1q8917zy5n8q/Community%20Update.zip?dl=0
All mining and production assist modules have been moved to the industral techs of each race. Everyone starts with a basic mining/assist module of 5% granted by their history tech. Because of this the Torians now get Industrial Revolution as a history tech. Doesn't fit but I don't have a choice or the modules won't line up properly.
The Drengin and Korath now use the same modules (the Drengin's). Any added tech or unneeded techs were removed from the techtrees.
I've used my tool ModValidation to check and double check and it should all work. SB modules will now slowly increase in strength by steps of 5 or less. Not every race gets the same amount of modules either. The Yor, Drengin, Korath and Iconians get less but their industry is either a) cheaper, far more powerful than the standard races.
Values are open to debate.
I didn't test run the new changes but in my experience removing techs seldom messes up the AI's research since limiting choices reduces the chance a wrong tech is picked for research rather than the other way around.
Enjoy.
Ok, I can see with your latest update that it is back to 500. One of your more recent updates did have it at 250. Weird.
The description in GCTypes.xml could use a little love, though:
<Module Name="ColonyModule"> <DisplayName>Colony Module</DisplayName> <Description>Each colony module holds 250 legions of colonists. Put these on your ships and then send those ships to uncolonized worlds that are habitable (class 1 or better).</Description> <Cost>50</Cost> <Size>20</Size> <MaxCapacity>500</MaxCapacity> <Model>Colony0</Model> <Ability>Colonize</Ability> <Thumbnail>Colony0</Thumbnail> <Category>Capacity</Category> <FlavorText0>Microhabitations Corp. Portable Environment Colonization Module.</FlavorText0> <FlavorText1>Aul Citizen Transportion Module.</FlavorText1> <FlavorText2>C-400 Non-Military Unit Transport Module.</FlavorText2> <FlavorText3>Vox'tir Civilian Transport Module.</FlavorText3> <FlavorText4>New Horizon Happy Sunshine Joy Place.</FlavorText4> <FlavorText5>Dread Transport</FlavorText5> </Module>
If I don't see any more updates from you by this evening, I'll start another test game.
Thanks for all the good work!
-- Silas
Cheers. Fixed. Thanks for letting me know.
Download:
If you spot any other typo's, wrong descriptions, etc, etc let me know
I did a live stream of a playthrough of today's build.
Didn't get too far along, but the archived broadcast is here,
Hey Marvin,
Skimmed through your livestream.
Couple of questions/comments:
* why do you clear the AI abilities (and your own) before you start the game? Does the AI not pick well?
* from what I know of the normal ratios, your mix of galaxy size and star/planet density resulted in at least 300 habitable planets. Can you ever finish such games? They must take forever!
* I didn't know I could turn off @!#(* auto-upgrading! Thank you for that! Can I make that a default setting?
I myself have not got very far through my playthrough yet. I picked a bit more of a knife-fight (Large, occsaional stars, Abu/Abu planets, 9 AI), to see how the AI does in a more cramped space.
So far I have only a couple observations:
* morale is in a pretty good spot, I think. I only have to play around a bit with tax and morale and be a little careful, and the AI is still handling it OK judging from their planets I've looked at.
* I am a little disappointed with the Korx early colony rush. IIRC, they are not currently set to one the "problem" AIPs who will not colonize outside their influence, and yet I am finding all kinds of juicy available planets only a couple sectors from their HW! They are colonizing and I have seen them grow quite quickly before so I'm not sure what's up. The Thalan, as usual, have grabbed every single damn world in sight and then some, as have the Torians.
* the new SB progression feels quite reasonable.
More as I move onto mid-game. Last game I played on an earlier version of the CU, I was fighting a rather successful war against the Thalan when the Korath blindsided me with a huge advanced fleet and dozens of spore ships. I was left with a bunch of newly conquered, empty planets while my entire home space was converted to toxic ruins. And this is only on Painful, so the AI is pretty much playing by the same rules I am. Did I mention I'm still kind of a noob?
Glad to hear it.
Then you should be have quite the challenge on painful. This is a good sign.
Thank you for your feedback.
Can someone please tell me why the Minor techtree is filled with unique tech only available for minors? I'm not sure what the reasonining was behind this desicion and I'd like to know.
@SilasofBorg:
Okay well, I cleared the AI abilities and my own so that the playing field isn't influenced by my picks for abilities, which might not be the same as another player's picks.
Immense galaxies with a moderate abundance of planets do tend towards being extremely long games and they're quite challenging. I guess though that the reason for my choices is that I like to have a number of planets, each with a particular specialisation.
Sadly, you can't make auto-upgrade off a default setting. Which is why I made a habit of unchecking it at colonisation/conquest. It's practically a reflex action now.
The Korx colony rush is a bit disappointing in part because they build freighters (they can from the get-go) and send those off to start trade routes. Which is good for their early economy, no doubt, but leaves them with a much smaller grab of the galactic real estate.
It was a work around Gaunathor made so minors and some races get some improvements, or something like that. he said it one time on this forum. I think its best we leave that and mainly everything else we all made alone, we may not like some of the changes sometimes or fully understand them, but I don't want to undo what we all worked for because of someone's preference and then wants to change something.
So ah, that thing you are waiting on, if you send it in to SD brad will look at it as will others, when they see how good it is they will likely accept your request for that thing you wanted, so it may be faster to do that instead of wait, come to the opportunity as they say.
I can't recall exactly where this was discussed, but I think Guanathor had two objectives:
1. give the minors a bit of a boost, and
2. make them a less profitable/unbalancing early grab for anybody nearby. Sure, you'll still get the class 15, but it won't be fully developed (in fact, they're mostly empty now).
Personally, I like them this way. It always felt cheesy to grab a minor and get such a disproportionate boost for such little effort.
Hi all - Sorry, I've been fighting off the flu and Brad's out of the office travelling. When I touch base with him next I'll give him an update on things. Thanks!
Lol, I keep forgetting you read this. :}
I touch back every few days to see what's up.
Well. I was on Skype with Mabus for nearly four hours tonight. I couldn't see what was on his screen, but it was quite exciting hearing about the finds in the code second-hand. May have a handle on the AIP7 colonisation thing, making strides in that direction anyway.
There's plenty of reason to be excited
Observe:
Yes that's a Korath colony well outside their sphere of influence.
And here's another .
AIP7 works. Well.. kinda. It's a very, very different AI. Guys. It LOVES galactic resourcess, goes nuts for them in fact. As soon as it spots them it drops everything and grabs them, upgrades them before you can blink. Once their desire for resources is sated they'll pick up colonizing. I might be able to do something about this. Or not. We'll see.
Anyway, today is a good day.
Now... let's see about AIP10
Hmm, I don't see anything... (?) (**)
I'm pretty confident that all resources are known to all AI right from turn0 on and they only need the required range + available constructor to send it to it.
Although I haven't backchecked this on all AI or AIP, but if Korath/AIP7 would have to scout out resources it would mean just another disadvantage.
Anyway, although I don't see it, I gongratulate you if it can be made to get AIP7 to use a standard colonization behaviour!
(**) manually following the links in the html-quote of your post I get a 403
But only the starting buildings get deleted, all others will stay. Weak buildings get destroyed, strong ones can stay
And this is easily manipulated by trading techs to them. Which even makes sense, what else do you want to do with Minors - you actually can't trade for their ships, so everyhing MP related is lost. So what better as to keep their social queue busy? More moral/econ from improvements = more bcs for tribute, better labs = more techs to get from them etc
And if you play with a custom race using their tree then the whole tier1 generic improvments will globally be destroyed, against ~+60% enemy factions...
I think they are goofed up in some way. I "complained" about their low population before and got reassured that they would have been buffed, but checking now CustomRaces.xml nothing did happen so far.
So what do you think...:
Basically their population is reduced from 16b to 8b-10b, which makes their worlds far easier to invade.
I therefore propose a strong soldiering buff somewhere between 50%-75% for them , could be varied though to spice things up.
Reduced pop also means lesser economy, and actually economy is the strongest trait they have [+100% (!)] and they being able to pay tribute is basically the only thing that delays war-declarations...
(sqrt*8)/(sqrt*16)-1= 42% reduction in taxes, so how about getting them additional moral bonuses to compensate that (also to make Information Warfare less interesting in their case)
A bonus to miniaturization or logistics would probably also be interesting, donno their ships generally are so weak. In a way, it could be quite interesting to make them all unique in some regions. As of now, only Akilians enjoy better bonuses (they even get extra Loyalty )
Nope. It needs to pass by them with a scout and their path is completely random.
2nd picture in the lower right. There's 3 worlds with a colony ship just outside and inside it's borders. There's no resource near it the Drengin send their colonisation ship all the way over there.
Interesting. I haven't had a look at the minor's tech trees in any detail.
Well, my current preferred option is running them over and use their lovely class 15 for my own purposes.
<snip some suggestions>
I don't know where I stand, to be honest -- the flavor of the minor races is more a design decision, and I haven't played enough to get a good feel for what makes minor races most "fun". Make them too weak and they're not interesting to trade with/bully for tribute, make them too strong and they become.. silly.
I will say that a soldiering bonus makes sense. Your race is a one-planet wonder, all your eggs are in one basket, surrounded by galactic empires. I imagine that most societies would be pretty defensive-minded. 20 or 30% sounds "fair" to me, too much more and it would feel like all minors are populated by Captain America.
Small update on AIP7 Colonisation.
After fiddeling around a LOT and until LATE. I noticed some very odd effects. Colony ships would get lost and litteraly fly in circles. I spend quite some time trying to figure out why until I tried something very drastic.
I copied and applied a large part of AIP11 colonisation routines to AIP7. AIp11 routines are much simples and I'm left with a page long gap that lacks any instruction.
And Oh. My. GOD does it work. Here's a few screenies of a test game on an Immense map with Occasion habital world, Occasional planets, common amount of stars, Loose clusters.
Massive Korath empire.
Scattered empires everywhere
A lonly Yor colony
A massive Drengin empire
A Drengin colony vessel (upper right) going for a distant world far outside it's empire's borders.
Sorry dude, those screenies don't show up and still give a 403 error when you click them. Of course, I can just cheat and look in the shared folder... and re-upload them to my site so they show up.
Massive Korath Empire:
Scattered empires everywhere:
A lonely Yor colony:
A massive Drengin empire:
A Drengin colony vessel (upper right) going for a distant world far outside its empire's borders:
So yeah, that looks pretty awesome.
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